See Me As I Am
by Gleekfully Yours
Summary: Draco has been driving Hermione mad. Blaise is in love with Hermione. Hermione's step-sister is in love w/ Blaise. What the hell is going on? Draco/Hermione focus but with a little Blaise/OC. Read and find out what happens!


**Title: **See Me As I Am

**Author: **EnriquezP3

**Genre: **Romance/Drama

**Rating: **K to M (depending on how I feel about it)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling has that claim. Besides, if I did own them, then Blaise and Draco would be in my bed right now and I wouldn't be writing this story. *snicker snicker*

**A/N:** This is written after the final war. Post-DH. Dedicated to my sister who's in the U.S. right now… Luv yah sis!!!

**Chapter 1: **He's Not The Same

"That despicable, annoying ferret! I absolutely abhor him!" Hermione screamed as she flung her bag unto the couch where her 22-year old step-sister sat.

"What is it this time?" the woman lounging on the couch asked flatly without looking away from the book she was reading. Contrary to popular belief that step-siblings hate each other, Hermione and Alana Stafford were best friends. They know each other so well that nobody would mistake them for step-siblings.

"Malfoy has strung my last nerve! I applied for prefect back at Hogwarts, he decided that applying for prefect would add to his credentials as a pureblood. I ran for head in my seventh year, he did the same just because he wanted his own common room. I attended university to further my knowledge, he attended just to meet more women and add notches on his wand. I took up medicine so I could help people—magical or not—and he took it up just because it's the only field that pays better—not that he needs it. I applied myself to St. Mungo's so I can learn more of magical medical spells, he applied just because it's near his house," she answered. "Now, I worked hard to get a permanent attending mediwitch and he vied for the same position just to annoy me! I absolutely, positively hate him, Alana!" she ranted after taking a deep breath.

Alana looked up from her book to look at the ranting 24-year old witch. She folded her hands unto her lap over the book she'd been reading as Hermione fumed.

"So what do you want me to do?" she asked calmly.

Hermione stared at her in silence before slumping herself beside the calm girl. "Honestly?" she started, leaning forward and placing her head on her hands. "I don't know."

Alana placed her bookmark on the page she stopped reading at and closed it. Placing the book on the coffee table in front of her, she faced Hermione. "Look, why don't you just ignore him? That's what you've always done. Why start acting like you care about what he does now?" she asked.

Hermione stared at the woman's logic. _She's right! Why do I care? I don't! I won't let it upset me anymore,_ she thought.

"Unless you have feelings for him," Alana commented before Hermione could say anything. Ánd by the way you constantly talk about him—bad or otherwise—it sounds like you do."

Hermione turned her head sharply at the woman beside her. "W-wha… wh… huh?" Hermione sputtered. "Why would you even think that?! Me?! Have feelings for the bloody ferret?! You must be crazy! The only feeling that I have for him is hate! The day that I'll fall in love with that bouncing ferret is the day that hell freezes over!"

Alana raised one eyebrow at the woman's response. "Who said anything about 'love'? I only said 'feelings'," she said.

Hermione's wide eyes almost made Alana double up laughing but she tried keeping it in. "W-W-WHAT?! I-I don't l-l-love HIM! Stop messing with me, Alana! I thought you were on my side?! What kind of sister are you?"

"Hey, I'm not taking sides! I'm just wondering when you two would admit to liking—if not loving—each other," Alana said throwing her hands up in surrender. "It looks, to me, like Malfoy's already starting to show you… in his own bizarre and sick way."

"WHAT?! Haven't you heard me at all?! I said 'the day that I'll fall in love with that bouncing ferret is the day that hell freezes over' or more appropriately 'the day that I'll fall in love with that bouncing ferret is the day that I follow the dark lord and loathe Harry'. It just doesn't work like that!" Hermione vexed, standing up in the middle of her tirade.

"Okay, okay! I get it already. No more Malfoy-liking. Check," Alana said snickering. Hermione slumped once more unto the couch, arms crossed over her breasts.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Nope" was the younger woman's response.

"Fine!" Alana giggled at her sister's actions. A knock at the door ceased the younger woman's giggle. Alana stood up and walked to the door to open it, seeing that Hermione wasn't in the mood to entertain guests.

A surprised intake of breath was made as she saw who was on the other side of the door. "Blaise, what are you doing here?" she asked, clutching the door handle tighter.

"Hey Lana. Just wanted to see how your sis is holding up," he answered, shoving his hands into his front pockets like a little boy. That look made Alana smile at the man.

"Hey Mione! Blaise is here!" she shouted towards the living room without glancing away from the man. They both waited as Hermione made her way to the hallway.

When the witch came into view, she smiled and asked, "Hey Blaise, come on in. What are you doing here?"

Blaise's eyes softened as he saw the woman's smile. Alana opened the door further to let him in as Blaise stepped in and made his way to Hermione. "Just checking in. Dray told me you two had a… misunderstanding, so to speak," he said as Hermione led him to the living room. They sat across from each other as Blaise stated his purpose.

Hermioine made an unlady-like snort. "Misunderstanding my ass." Blaise smiled at the way Hermione seemed to still look cute even when snorting like the way she just did. Alana saw the way Blaise had stared at her sister so she decided to leave the two alone as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Hey, I get it! You hate him," he countered.

Hermione glowered at him. "Hate is such an understatement. More abhor, detest, or maybe even loathe, but hate? I don't think so," she commented.

Blaise smiled. "But you know one thing?" he asked, placing his arm over the back of the couch. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at him.

"And what would that be?"

"He fancies you," Blaise simply answered. He watched her eyes widen at his reply.

"Where do you get this ridiculous idea that he fancies me? If he does, then he's got a strange way of showing it. That foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!" she ranted once more. "Where do you get the impression that he fancies me anyway?"

Blaise chuckled at her question. "It's like this, 'Mione. Dray had been… mesmerized, by lack of a better term… by you since you hit him in our third year. You, literally, 'knocked some sense' into him with that slap. Ever since then, he'd been trying to get your attention and failing miserably at keeping it. The only way, he thought of, that's going to get _and_ keep your attention was to get you so steamed up that you'd practically hex him till next week. He'd rather take a beating, so to speak, than just seeing that he's just annoyed you," he explained, moving from where he'd been seated to right in front of the woman.

Hermione stared at Blaise as he explained why he thought Draco—_NO! MALFOY! His name is Malfoy!_—fancied her. The idea that Malfoy even liked her as a person was suspicious, but fancying her? That definitely took the cherry off the cake! _Why me? Why would he fancy a mudblood? Besides, didn't his father implant the idea that mudbloods are beneath them? Besides, why should I believe that? He's done nothing but humiliate me, infuriate me, and call my friends stupid names! But on the other hand, he is kind of cute… in a weird sort of way. And let's not forget how hot his body is! NO! Do not even go there, Hermione! He is not cute or hot or whatever delicious things you might think of next! He is a former Death Eater! The fading tattoo proves it! But that's it. He's a FORMER Death Eater. Former being the cooperative word. It means he's done with that. He even helped Harry defeat Voldemort, _she thought. Blaise stared at the different emotions that passed through Hermione's face—confusion, anger, swooning, then anger again, and then, once again, back to confusion. He sighed silently.

_How I would love to stir up those kind of emotions in her, _Blaise thought. "You may not see it now, but one day you will. He's not the same Draco that he once was back in Hogwarts. Believe me when I tell you that he just wants you to notice him as a person and not the kid from when we were eleven or twelve," he said, holding her hands between his. Hermione snapped back to attention that she was not alone.

She closed her eyes and huffed an air of nervousness. "Blaise, I don't want to think that he's changed and then see that he hasn't," she started, opening her eyes and focusing them on the man holding her hand before her. "I don't want to think that he likes me then once I acknowledge him, he freezes on me and reverts back to how he was during our Hogwarts days. I don't want to hope, that's all. It's hard to let go of the past," she continued as she stood and made her way up the stairs and into her room, leaving Blaise alone in the living room.

Blaise followed her with his eyes until he couldn't see her anymore. He sighed heavily, placed his hands on his hips and lowered his head. This was not going as he wanted it to go.

"Sorry about her. She is trying, you know," a soft feminine voice said from the entrance of the kitchen. Blaise raised his head to find Alana leaning against the entrance of the kitchen holding a glass of water, looking at him. "If it's any consolation, I think she does like him too. She just hasn't realized it yet," she continued, smiling at him and lifting her head in assurance.

Blaise smiled at the optimistic attitude. "You think so?" he asked, walking towards her. Her breath hitched in her throat. She coughed a little before answering.

"I know so. Besides, what are sisters for?"

Blaise softened his smile and moved to leave. "I hope you're right. I wouldn't want to kill my best friend over this," he replied, saying the last comment under his breath so she wouldn't hear. But she did.

Oh she definitely did…


End file.
